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Good news today from the cardiologist

Oz had a great checkup at the cardiologist today. He has a grade I congenital murmur - a very slight leaky mitral valve. He also has esophageal dysmotility which he's been seeing an internist for. We saw his internist last Tuesday and she did a chest x-ray and said his heart looked significantly enlarged since his last visit in January and he should follow-up with his cardiologist. We saw Dr. Leuthy today who explained that his heart was the same size as two years ago and looked larger because he probably took a deep breath right when they took the x-ray and it's also a different angle of the x-ray. (he also explained more technical stuff about how to know that it was the same size but I won't go into that ) He also did a new echo and said his valve is not leaking any more. His diagnosis - he is at no more risk of getting MVD than any other cavalier, even though he does have this congenital very slighty leaky valve. He said he doesn't even need to see him again unless his vet detects a worsening of the murmur or I detect coughing or a change in behavior.

What a relief. For a week now I've been preparing myself for the worst. I'm still not convinced that I won't take him back periodically to the cardiologist just to put my mind at ease, although it was my vet who picked up the Grade I murmur initially when he was 4 months old. He had an episode of what I think was Episodic Falling Syndrome - which luckily hasn't repeated. Anyway, I am breathing much easier now. No SM for him (he was MRI'd) and now no MVD. Phew!